EU elite 'is building a superstate'

IRELAND'S Attorney General, Michael McDowell, has accused officials in Brussels of arrogantly trying to force Europe's diverse nations into a superstate no one wants.

Mr McDowell told the Institute of European Affairs in Dublin that Irish voters rejected the European Union's Nice Treaty partly because of a "widespread perception that developments in Europe were taking a turn, or moving in a direction, that caused deep unease".

He said "a narrow class of activist office-holders, elected and unelected", were charging ahead of public opinion with proposals for a European constitution, a justiciable Bill of Rights, EU direct taxation, a defence arm, a judicial machinery to prosecute and punish citizens, an elected EU president, and an EU government.

"Few if any of these proposals carry popular significant support. While many have been put forward separately, they constitute, in the round, the indiciae of a European state in substance."

His speech on Monday was a further warning to Brussels that it will not be easy to make the Irish change their minds in a second referendum. During the weekend's summit at Gothenburg, EU leaders refused to contemplate altering any text in the treaty, although it is technically null and void for all 15 states if any country refuses to ratify it.

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The Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, was told it was his responsibility to resolve the constitutional impasse, despite several leaders admitting privately that they would have had difficulties if the treaty had been put to a popular test in their own countries.

Mr McDowell is the fourth Irish cabinet member to break ranks. The finance minister, Charlie McCreevy, caused astonishment in Gothenburg by describing Ireland's rejection of the treaty as a "healthy development".